Home Chat General Chat

Getting to Excel for London Tri

I live just outside London (Twickenham), and have only ever travelled to Excel via Rail and Underground.

Just wondering how other Londoners will be getting there with all their gear and bikes?

Not sure what parking will be like out there but would like the option of driving.

Cheers[;)]

Comments

  • LuckyLucky Posts: 137
    Driving, live in the sticks and got a start time of 0700 on Sunday morning, don't think Public transport exists at that time, also problems with getting bike across town (my train would come into Paddlington) Also I think bikes are banned on DLR
  • As a Londoner I can also testify that London Underground can be real arses for taking your bike on. They have let me before but only if I take the wheels off?!? (I don't quite get the logic, as its fine if its in a bike case/bag).



    If you get into paddington you could just cycle to the Excel for a nice warm up the day before, or if thats a bit far just cycle to Tower Bridge and get the express service from Tower Gateway to Excel (for athletes only).



    I am either going to cycle down myself or I am lucky in that my offices are right next to Tower of London so I can just leave my stuff there overnight and head straight onto the DLR on the day.



    I'm racing at 14:10 though - anyone else here in that wave?
  • I will be close to the venue at the hilton on canary wharf, and been advised to drive there to excel.

    Anyone else staying at the same hotel..
  • HodgsonHodgson Posts: 13
    I live in central london so am just thinking of cycling down on the Saturday to rack up.



    Jack - I'm in the 14:10 wave. I'll be the guy drowning in the Thames - first open water swim. What time you aiming to complete it in?
  • I'm just gonna get up brutally early and drive over from south west london. I've not been to excel before but i'm told the parking's quite good and shouldn't be a problem.
  • gunforhiregunforhire Posts: 457
    Cheers.

    Car it is!
  • djtvdjtv Posts: 28
    I will be coming up from Hampshire - will the car parking be sufficient? Does anyone know from last year?



    I have a 12:15 start on Saturday.
  • I'm driving up from South East London. I'm starting at 2pm on the Saturday
  • Hogson,



    Enjoy it! I have done 2 open water swims now, first being Blenheim which was quite easy and not that crowded as was in waves, then the UK Ironman 70.3 which was absolute madness as everyone was let off together - literally for the first 500m every stroke was over/under someone else.



    The trick is just stay relaxed, if you relax you swim well and your breathing will stay in hand. If you tense up thats when the problems occur on the swim and after. The other trick is that when its really crowded at the start over emphasise the turn for the breath - as you'll want quite a bit of air space to deal with waves/splashing etc.



    No idea on times to be honest, haven't relaly done much Tri stuff since the Ironman 70.3. Swim will be about 30 mins, bike about 1.5 hours or something then about a 50 min run - so I guess about 2:20 from looking at that! But who knows!
  • WannabetriWannabetri Posts: 219
    I am staying over by city airport but racking on Saturday night due to the afternoon Sunday start. armstrong-jack looks like we'll be going head to head!!!



    Not sure about your maths or maybe it's my interpretation. Is 1.5 hours supposed to be 1hr30 mins or 1hr5mins? Cos if it's 1hr30 I think 2:20 could be beyond ya! [image]http://forum.220magazine.com/micons/m11.gif[/image]



  • Well, my maths was very wrong but somehow my prediction was pretty accurate coming in at 2:18.24 which I was very pleased with.



    How did you get on?



    Really didn't enjoy the swim though, found myself on the inside and so had people trying to swim over me almost throughout the whole swim! So never quite settled into a rythmn. Bike was bloody windy but the run for me went really well.



    Whats the deal with being a sub 2:30, I see there is a special entry section for it on the website? Also is there anyway to find out how you did overall as opposed to just in your age group?
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    I came in at 1:22:07, which I am happy with for my first tri. Found the swim a nightmare though - got clobbered a few times, which I can cope with, but I was really dizzy getting out of the water, which will have really slowed my T1, but the splits aren't out yet so will have to wait and see.

    Has anybody else had experience of dizziness after the swim; any tips to combat or avoid it?

    - Thanks

    Other observations on the event were that considering the number of competitors, it went very smoothly; the support was fantastic at several points on the route, but the cycle turning points were very tight!
  • Dizzyness coming out of the water is generally due to the blood rushing to your legs as you have been horizontal for so long previously.



    Tricks to deal with it are to kick harder than usual for the last 100m of the swim or so and then don't rush when you get out, take a few seconds to orient yourself and then just jog off, don't go sprinting up to T1.



    Hope this helps!
  • HodgsonHodgson Posts: 13
    I had the dizzyness out of the water, forgot about the kicking hard trick! I also started having cramps in my calves around 300m into the swim which lasted the rest of the distance. Had done a lot of streching beforehand, could that have been due to the cold water?



    Also had stomach cramps on the run and my stomach has been dodgey ever since I've finished. Think its something to do with all the water I swallowed on the swim!



    Completed it in 2:37 (swim 33, bike 1:08 and run 49) so not the sub 2:30 i set myself but still quite happy for my first tri. Awesome experience and will definitely be back net year.
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    Thanks for that armstrong_jack - will try that at my next event. No fear of running off into transition though - I couldn't even stand properly, let alone sprint!
Sign In or Register to comment.